1939-53 Farmall H

Deer and Ford were on the move, but International Harvester was ready

Feature Article from Hemmings Motor News

By 1938, the Farmall F-20 had served International Harvester loyally, but underneath the glitzy red paint that the company began applying to its tractors two years prior, was a design dating back to the original battleship gray 1924 Farmall.
One of IH's increasingly keen rivals, John Deere, had begun focusing on the curb appeal of its tractors beginning with the styled Model B in 1938 and, with Henry Ford about to shake up the tractor market again, this time with his deviously inexpensive Ferguson three-point hitch-equipped small tractor, IH needed to make some bold changes if it was going to maintain its command position.
But by the time Ford dropped the wildly popular 9N on the market in 1939, IH was more than ready with its now-famous Letter Series tractors, styled by legendary industrial designer Raymond Loewy--the man behind such instantly recognizable icons as the Lucky Strike logo, the Studebaker Avanti, Air Force One's paint scheme and the Pennsylvania Railroad's awe-inspiring S-1 locomotive.
IH gave America a sneak peek at Loewy's handiwork in the second half of 1938 with the hulking TD-18 crawler, which boasted a rounded hood and the signature horizontally slotted Farmall grille.
Just a few months later, in 1939, IH introduced the Farmalls A and B, the mid-sized H and the big dog of the group, the M. All of the tractors shared Loewy's handsome cosmetic design, and the A boasted a radical layout that Loewy called "Culti-Vision," which offset the engine to the left of the driver, offering an unobstructed view forward.
IH also later commissioned Loewy to design a new logo (Loewy dreamed up the now-famous red lower-case I in the center of a black capital H. The dot over the I was supposed to represent a driver's head looking over the hood of a Farmall--the black upright columns of the H represented the tractor's tires viewed head-on) as well as a fresh look for the company's dealerships. Widely placed print advertisements promised customers on-site service and support with a smile as well as fast repairs and overhauls at well-equipped dealerships, staffed by knowledgeable technicians.
The company's message was clear: Henry Ford might have been dabbling in farm tractors, but IH was seriously bent on becoming the industry's manufacturing, sales and service leader.
In 1940, Farmall H tractors with rubber tires sold for $962. Buying the tractor with steel wheels shod with cleats (which became a must during WWII) saved the buyer $200.
According to IH sales materials, the Farmall H was, "An ideal, all-purpose tractor for diversified farms up to 160 acres, or for specialized farms raising such row crops as potatoes or sugar beets. It pulls two 14-inch bottoms, cultivates up to 35 acres of row crops a day, and speeds up other farm jobs in proportion."
The H was powered by a 152-cu.in. four-cylinder gasoline or distillate engine that operated at 1,650 rpm and boasted a water pump in place of the F-20's antiquated thermosyphon system. The H shared its chassis and wheelbase with the larger Model M, so much was interchangeable between the tractors, including IH's implements. Most Hs produced used a tricycle-style front end, but a high-crop version with a wide front end was available.
The H wasn't necessarily the best of the Farmall lineup, but buyers flocked to it, and IH sold 390,000 copies during the workhorse's production run that ended in 1953 with the introduction of the Super H.
Today, Farmall Hs enjoy a loyal following, good parts availability and information is easy to find, making the H a great prospect for a beginning restorer. While the days of collectible Farmall Hs being offered at giveaway prices are gone, they are still a relative bargain, with functional examples selling in the neighborhood of $2,000-$3,000.

This article originally appeared in the December, 2006 issue of Hemmings Motor News.